What To Do When Someone Else Creates a Facebook Account of YOU

Folks, we see it all the time: a friend who you’re already friends with is requesting to be your friend. It’s enough to make your head spin! What do you do?

Unfortunately, too many really smart people make the wrong choice: they ignore it. And the impersonation continues and dupes more people and spreads like wildfire. It’s like swatting flies — if we ignore them, they only breed and end up bothering us more!

In 2017, we want to be better digital citizens and help each other out when we see this. There are 2 things you want to remember when you see a fake-friend requesting fake-friendship:

You 1) REPORT and 2) BLOCK. And in that order.

When we all immediately REPORT and BLOCK, the fake account is reviewed by Facebook and frequently taken down. The more of us who report, the quicker it is taken down. And the more often you report, Facebook remembers you as a good person and listens to your reports quicker (I think).

Here are a couple links to help you 1) REPORT and 2) BLOCK (in that order)

If you have more questions, leave a comment here!
But remember, when you REPORT and BLOCK, we all have a cleaner, safer time online!

I love to help communities figure out the hidden rules and usage of social media for kids, senior citizens, or any age in between. If you like the tip shared here, contact me!
And extra bonus, if you’re looking for a digital citizenship curriculum, contact my colleague, Katie Perez.